unattractive

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + attractive, with the negative prefix un- meaning "not".^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Not attractive: Etymonline dates the adjective to 1729.^[2] The OED's first quotation is from 1813, in Shelley's Queen Mab,^[3] and Merriam-Webster also gives 1813 as its first known use.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept the meaning of its base, attractive, with the sense reversed: lacking beauty or charm, and also lacking interest or appeal.^[5][6] The Shorter Oxford dates the adjective to the early 19th century and the derived adverb unattractively to the mid 19th century.^[4]

Timeline

• 1729 – not attractive.^[2]
• mid 19th century – the adverb unattractively.^[4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not pleasing to look at; lacking beauty or charm; plain: an unattractive concrete building.^[5][6][4]
2. Not arousing interest or desire; not appealing: The low pay made the job an unattractive offer.^[6][5]

Word family

• unattractively
• unattractiveness

Related words

• attract
• attraction

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins